Are Japanese architect Kengo Kuma's buildings futuristic or natural?

Sol Han, for CNN

Updated 9:15 PM ET, Thu October 6, 2016

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Great (Bamboo) Wall, in Beijing, China (2002) – Kuma's dedication to architecture that incorporates nature saw him be one of the ten architects invited to design a residence at this retreat at the Great Wall of China.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Great (Bamboo) Wall, in Beijing, China (2002) – Kuma says he wanted his residence to be a "symbol of cultural exchange".

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Great (Bamboo) Wall, in Beijing, China (2002) – The project utilizes the site's geographical features and locally produced materials. Kuma's bamboo walls let the light and wind into the rooms.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, in Tokyo, Japan (2012) – Kengo Kuma, an award-winning Japanese architect, is known for his minimalism and innovative use of natural materials in his buildings.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, in Tokyo, Japan (2012) – This tourist information center gives the illusion of being made of several roofs stacked on top of one another.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

YURE, in Paris, France (2015) – This wooden pavilion, which people can climb up, was temporarily erected at the Tuileries Garden, near the Louvre museum in Paris, as part of the FIAC International Contemporary Art Fair on October 20, 2015.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Sunny Hills Japan, in Tokyo, Japan (2013) – This bamboo basket-shaped pineapple cake shop using a traditional Japanese wooden lattice to create an exterior totally distinct from the other residential buildings on its street.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Tsumiki – Kuma's fascination with layering wood was evident when he created Tsumiki (meaning "wodden blocks" in Japanese). This simple triangle-shaped children's toy was dubbed the Japanese version of Lego.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Hans Christian Andersen Museum, in Odense, Denmark – Kuma uses Danish wooden frames for this design, which he submitted to international competition to design the H.C. Andersen's House of Fairy Tales.

Beijing Tea House, in Beijing, China (2014) – Light gently filters through the translucent blocks -- echoing the way how was used to let in light in traditional siheyuan architecture.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Wuxi Vanke, in Wuxi, China (2014) – Kuma transformed this former cotton mill into a shopping mall using a frame of aluminium panels, which lets sunlight shine in the building symbolizing where the "past and future is connected". Its shape is inspired by that of the Taihu stone, which was at the heart of Taihu culture.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

China Academy of Art's Folk Art Museum, in Hangzhou, China (2015) – "We can go 'back to the past' but it is not a nostalgic movement. It's a very futuristic past," Kuma says. His ethos can be seen in this museum's design: traditional shapes made from traditional materials evoke an unnerving feeling of moving below ground.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

China Academy of Art's Folk Art Museum, in Hangzhou,China (2015) – Old tiles from local houses are hung on metal wires along the outer wall, to control the amount of sunlight streaming inside.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Hongkou SOHO, in Shanghai, China (2015) – Kuma has also designed office blocks, such as the Hongkou Soho.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Hongkou SOHO, in Shanghai, China (2015) – Aluminum mesh "pleats" wrap around the whole building, like a lace dress for women. It gives a different look for from different angles.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

Nagaoka City Hall Aore, in Niigata, Japan (2012) – A brilliant example of sustainable architecture, solar panels cover this city hall. "In the 20th century, most architects thought of architecture as producing the art pieces of the period. I think architecture is a never-ending project," Kuma says.

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Photos:Are these buildings futuristic or natural?

The Darling Exchange in Sydney, Australia – Kuma revealed his plans for this Sydney building earlier this year. It will feature a futuristic curving timber exterior.

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Kengo Kuma's architecture explores the relationship between nature and architecture.